This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Ballot paper for council elections
01/12/2006
The Executive is seeking the views of Holyrood's Local Government Committee on the format of the ballot paper for the council elections.
The elections on May 3, 2007 will be the first held using the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system and will therefore need a new format of ballot paper.
Given the range of views on this issue, the Executive will abide by the decision taken by the Committee. The two options for the ballot paper are:
- Grouping candidates by party in alphabetical order
- Listing by candidate in alphabetical order
The Executive is seeking a clear view from the Committee by December 12 to allow a draft order reflecting their decision to be laid before the Scottish Parliament shortly afterwards.
In a letter to Committee convener Bristow Muldoon, Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform Tom McCabe said:
"There is one outstanding issue, the format of the ballot paper, which I would be grateful if the Committee could consider before it looks at the rules for the local government election as a whole.
"I am aware that there are a range of different views on this matter and I would like to invite the Committee to consider the two main options for the ballot paper before the draft rules are laid before Parliament."
The local government elections on May 3 will be the first in Scotland held under the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system of proportional representation.
Elections to the Scottish Parliament are being held on the same day under the Additional Member System (AMS) which has its separate ballot paper.
The proposed timetable is:
- Response from Local Government Committee by December 12
- Draft order laid reflecting the Committee's views shortly afterwards, most likely on December 13
- Rules to be considered by the Subordinate Legislation Committee on December 19
- Rules come before the Local Government and Transport Committee on January 16 and 23
- Parliament considers the rules on January 25